‘Why fix something that was only half broke?’ was probably the mentality behind this game. More mission pack than proper sequel, Redneck Rampage Rides Again is a standalone product that plays pretty much the same as the original. It also has the same strengths and weaknesses, which is to say it’s got exceptionally detailed level design (for a Build-powered game that is) and excessively annoying key hunts that grinds the otherwise good action to a screeching halt.

There’s a backstory tucked in there, but it’s essentially a funny excuse for you to visit a bunch of cross-country sights, presented in the game’s familiar redneck humor. You’ll go through Area 69 (sorta like Area 51), a gorgeous steam ship, a Wild West style town, or Wako (complete with a framed photo of Janet Reno hanging in an FBI communications van). On the second episode you’ll visit the wreck of Flight 592 as it crashes into a swamp in 1996.

As in the first game, the skillful use of shadows and textures gives the objects in Redneck Rampage Rides Again a much more tangible appearance than you’d normally expect in a Build game. But while the levels are all fun to explore, they still have inconsistent key hunts. Sometimes locked door and switch puzzles are reasonable to solve, other times they’re much too hard, you get stuck, and the game becomes a boring backtracking exercise. As was the case before, keys are sometimes harder to find than secret areas, and this just takes away from the fun part of the game which is the shooting.

Fortunately, Xatrix tossed in a few new weapons and enemies to keep things interesting, plus a couple of usable vehicles, and a few ha-ha-funny redneck anthems by Mojo Nixon. As soon as you start the game, you’ll run into a pack of jack-o-lopes: half rabbit, half antelope, and all cute – don’t let ’em critters swarm ya. Take them out, and you meet up with the Old Coot from the first game — except now he’s the Groovy Old Coot, dressed in polyester floral shirts and screeching annoying lines like, “Grooooovy, baby!” as he hobbles around a corner to fill you full of lead.

Then there’s Frank Doyle, a hulking biker with two sawed-off shotguns, and Daisy Mae, a cheerleader clone who likes to hang with the big guy. Frank shouts lines from Blue Velvet (a whimpering “Mommy!” and “Hey, neighbor!”), but Daisy Mae isn’t nearly as intimidating. She’ll lure you on with naughty giggles and taunts like, “Do you like that, boy?” — and then start tossing batons made of dynamite when you get close.

Rides Again would have been a good deal more entertaining if it spent less time forcing you to pull switches and more time throwing enemies against your boomsticks. But still, for players who got off on the original game, good news – you get the same thing.